Garmin Edge Beginner Requires Assistance

bill_gates

Hi all, Merry Christmas.

Santa and his elves were very kind this year and delivered me a shiny new Edge 800 under the tree. Now that it is boxing day and also a day off work, I've opened the box and started to read the poor attempt at 'manuals'. My existing computer was from Aldi and was approx. £12 (although it has been fantastic), I'm ready to explore the higher end of a cycling computer's features.

• Do I need to go through a University degree to learn how to work this thing?

• Any tips on what I should be looking for to get this thing working. I've managed to get it to talk to the GPS and found out how to put my European City Navigator Map via a MicroSD card into the thing.

• What about the wheel diameter setting or is the automatic GPS calculation going to be accurate enough?

• I've created a Garmin Connect account and also registered the device,

• Can I simply draw maps on Google or Mapmyride and import them?

• Do I need software like Garmin BaseCamp installed?

• I'd like the Garmin Birdseye or Satellite imagery extra but it's an extra £21. Anyone got any tips if this can be either acquired or if it's actually worthwhile?

It's still a bit too cold to be out in the garage fitting this thing so I though I'd take the opportunity to relax with a beer and work out what it all does before I'm set loose on the roads.

Hope everyone else had a great Christmas.

BG.

trtimothy

got a 705 so hopefully it works somewhat simillar..

1..shouldn't need a degree once its set up..705 is really easy to use

2. automatic gps should be fine. It worked fine for me.

3. use mapmyride, draw the route, save it, export it as gpx then copy it to ur garmin...should work.

4. no idea if satellite imagery is worth it.

Hope that gives some help!!

rch30

Agree with trtimothy1,2and 4.
3. use http://bikeroutetoaster.com/ download gpx file use garmin base camp to open and move file to edge - onto unit preferably instead of memory card.
Great bit of kit enjoy!

bill_gates

I've got more used to the actual navigation around the device it now that I've played with it for a day or so but not sure on what partner software I should be using, I think that's where Garmin have been lacking on advice department,

I've managed to find the following:

Garmin BaseCamp
Garmin MapInstaller
Garmin MapManager
Garmin POIInstaller
Garmin RoadTrip
Garmin WebUpdater

What of that list should I be concentrating on? I did try to get GPX files out of mapymyride (I've got around 100 on there) but couldn't seem to get it uploaded to the Edge 800.

John Stevenson

To get a GPX into the 800:

Download from your favoured route-drawing website. Give it a descriptive, useful name such as '70km Bath-Grittleton-Bath loop.gpx'

Mount the Edge on your computer

Copy the GPX to one of the folders called NewFiles. On my device there are two, one on the device itself, and one on the SD card:

/GARMIN/Garmin/NewFiles

and

/3132-3338/garmin/NewFiles

Unmount the Device and start it up.

Go to: Menu > Courses

and you should see your route listed. They are listed in order of the distance from your current location of the route start point.

exact details may vary with OS (I'm on Linux) but that should give you the idea

cornerblock

Hi Bill, I hope you don't mind if I hijack your thread slightly to ask John a question. When I transfer the GPX file to my 705 it comes up on my training page as a course rather than on my saved rides. Which does not give me any specific road names, just the left right type directions. Is there something I need to be doing to get them into the saved rides page?
Thanks for any help you can give me.

cyco2

Nice pressie.

Just thought you might like to look at some reviews in case they say anything about the set up.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/garmin-edge-800/
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bill_gates

OK, managed to get a GPX file onto it from Mapmyride and impressed it also remembered my route average pace as well. I'll need to play with Virtual Partner to see if I can beat that.

gorgoracha

Personally I use Mapsource from Garmin... It got the advantage that you can draw your routes off line... And it's dead easy to transfer them from and to the GPS unit...

Garmin connect is only good to keep record of your rides... but nothing else...

John Stevenson

Cornerblock, happy to help, but that's not a problem I've encountered - GPX files show up under saved rides in my 705 if I put them in the GPX folder

Can you give me more detail about how you're creating a route and transferring it so I can try and replicate?

cornerblock

Cheers John. Not had the 705 that long and not being that technical, shall we say, I will try to explain what I am doing. Went onto Mapmyride and plotted a ride which I then saved. Once saved it went straight into my Garmins folder as Toys Hill Loop. I then just pressed eject for the 705 and the card before I disconnected the Garmin from my laptop. Then when I go Menu> Where To> Saved rides it comes up with No Rides In Memory. Yet if I go to Training> Courses it appears there.
Not sure where I am going wrong as I have been able to load saved rides before. Just don't know what I am doing differently. :?
In your post before you showed Menu> courses. Should courses show up as soon as I press Menu, because it doesn't on mine.
Hope I have explained it well enough, thanks again for taking the time.

jamespiggot

On my 705 I always download routes as courses (.tcx) rather than as GPX files and they go in the courses folder and they appeared under the training menu. I did that because I read on Frank Kinlan's website that with GPX files you were only allowed a limited number of waypoints (100 max.), but maybe that doesn't apply to the 800?

See http://frank.kinlan.co.uk/garmin-edge-705/

Riding a course gives you a better set of screens IMHO although others may differ in this.

Garmin Updater is used to update the software on your 705/800 so is an essential bit of software.

Garmin Connect can be used for sharing rides on the web and also allows you to play back rides which is a nice feature.

The Garmin Communicator Plugin -http://www8.garmin.com/products/communicator/ is useful for downloading files from/to your unit from some software packages such as Garmin Connect, SportsTrack, Bikeroutetoaster.

John Stevenson

Cornerblock, menu sequence on 705 and 800 is different.

When you copy your GPX file to the 705, which folder are you putting it in?

Omar Little

im just gonna jump on this thread for advice too

I got the gb discoverer maps with my 800 and i was wondering is there is a way for getting basecamp to use these maps from the harddrive rather than via the sd card in the garmin (connected by usb)? basecamp is so slow to do do anything this way.

cornerblock

Hi John, sorry for the delay in responding. More relatives visiting for Christmas so more drink than I should have. Bit slow out of the traps today!
The GPX file is going straight into the Garmin folder as opposed too the other one which I think is the card? I tried dragging the file across and dropping it into where it actually says Garmin, but it still does not appear in Saved Rides, only in Training as a course. :?

John Stevenson

Cornerblock, try putting it in the GPX folder.

cornerblock

Aha! By jove I think I've got it. Nice one John, put it in GPX folder and Bingo. Easy when you know how!! Many thanks John. As I said before I am not that clued up computer wise so I have a lot to learn to get the most out of my 705. I do use the Garmin Connect and find it really useful to see how well/ poorly I've done! You have a great New Year John and thanks again.

ben16v

there is an software update for the 800 out now too

1_reaper

Any idea what the update does ?

ben16v

Changes made from version 2.00 to 2.10:

* Improved Auto Pause behavior.
* Corrected issues that could cause incorrect speeds to be recorded.
* Improved auto wheel calibration especially for PowerTap power meters.
* Added a torque reading to the calibration page for Powertap power meters.
* Removed DeleteFiles folder.
* Allow the device to operate in normal mode with external power.
* Corrected issues that could corrupt activity files which would not allow them to be uploaded to Garmin Connect or Garmin Training Center.
* Improved keyboard layout, input, and design.
* Made improvements to the elevation profile.
* Added an activity reset reminder.
* Improved how the device responds when the screen has been locked.
* Added a factory default reset in MENU -> Settings -> System -> Initial Setup.
* Added the ability to view details for an activity that has not been reset.
* Data fields should now report correct time and distance while navigating.
* Corrected issues caused by removing an SD card while navigating.
* Corrected Auto Scroll issues.
* Corrected issues drawing the current activity on raster maps.
* Made improvements to the Virtual Partner.
* Added memory full warning message.
* Corrected issue that could prevent activities from being able to be deleted.
* Route recalculation can now be turned off in MENU -> Settings -> System -> Routing -> Recalculate.
* Added a day/night color mode setting in MENU -> Settings -> System -> Display -> Color Mode.
* Sensor settings will now be correctly maintained when merging FIT setting and sport files.
* Corrected issues with weight scale data recording and communication.
* Corrected issue that could cause lap calories to be reset after a power cycle.
* Corrected issue that could cause workouts, courses, and locations to not be displayed in their respective lists.
* Corrected issue that could cause data field changes on the map or elevation training pages to not be saved.
* Lap markers in a course will now be recorded correctly while following the course.

still afew bugs in there tho

1_reaper

Thanks for the heads up Wonder when there going to be a dummy's guide to the 800 as the manuals are utter dog toffee !

Teach

Taking this thread a step further.
1) How long does the battery last (roughly)
2) I'm looking at buying an 800 with HRM cadence sensor and maps. Some places are advertising and enduro bundle, road and trail. In simple speak what's the difference. I assume I need the road.
3) And finally, is there any way they can be set up to work on rollers to give distance covered?

Cheers

ben16v

Teach wrote:

Taking this thread a step further.
1) How long does the battery last (roughly)
2) I'm looking at buying an 800 with HRM cadence sensor and maps. Some places are advertising and enduro bundle, road and trail. In simple speak what's the difference. I assume I need the road.
3) And finally, is there any way they can be set up to work on rollers to give distance covered?

Cheers

1 battery is quoted as 15hrs only used it for one so far but charged it up again
2 i assume enduro is the ordanance survey maps which are better for off road (but i`ve not seen them myself) i have the road euro navigator map
3 if you have the cadence sensor and wheel magnet it will do speed distance from that on turbo or rollers as they monitor the back wheel

Teach

Thank you Ben16v. Can any one offer any further advice/guidance about the maps that are available. I think the 1:50000 is what I need.

ben16v

no worries - i dont think you get turn by turn navigation with the OS maps but do get greater detail, it is cheaper to buy the package with the OS maps and get the road card later if you want both (uk and ireland only can be had for £30ish on amazon etc but the os are closer to £100) if your only getting one map and want turn by turn then you need the road pack - well thats what i concluded anyway and decided on!

1_reaper

The OS 1:50000 maps are around £200 on the Garmin site :shock:

Omar Little

I got the Enduro package and turn by turn navigation works with that too. I havent actually used this feature yet so dont know how good it is though. The maps themselves are decent for road use, i like extra detail OS maps have but for some this might be a bit cluttered and harder to read.

Had intended to get the city navigator maps too but im not sure i need them - However the real test of the OS maps for road use will only come when i'm trying to go somewhere on unfamilar rather than my usual training loops!